Boat ramp improvements

ABSTRACT

The new boat ramp has a ladder-style frame having C-shaped elongated lateral side rails held in spaced apart parallel condition by C-shaped cross support beams. One end of the frame is a water end and the other end is a shore end. At least six hull roller assemblies are mounted on the side rails in laterally paired relationship across from each other and in longitudinally spaced relationship. One lateral pair is at the water end. Each assembly has a roller axle carrying a hull roller at each end. The assemblies are mounted so that their axles are in pivotable elevated transverse orientation above the side rails so as to provide hull conforming support for a boat. A keel assembly having a central keel roller of significant axial length in at the water end. The hull rollers of the hull roller assemblies at the water end and the keel roller are all located in such proximity to each other as to substantially preclude all contact by the bow of a boat against structural elements of the ramp at the water end other than the hull rollers and the keel roller. At the shore end is a braced winch assembly for loading boats onto the ramp. The components of the ramp are styled to permit parcel shipment to any location of all components in unassembled condition. Further, the components are easily assembled using well-known and widely used household tools.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of my application Ser. No.10/017,846, filed Nov. 30, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,291.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a boat ramp, and more particularly to a boatramp of the type for docking or mooring a boat temporarily out of thewater and permitting quick launching of the boat back into the waterwith great ease.

The invention is useful for boats having a length not in excess of about25 feet and is most useful for boats of shorter length such as about 8,12, 16, or even 20 feet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The art of boat ramp design has received an enormous amount of attentionover the years, with the result that a multitude of options for boatramp design have been created. In short, this field of technology isextremely highly developed.

Unfortunately, however, despite its highly developed nature, it appearsthat little or no serious attention has heretofore been given to a rampdesign using a keel roller of long axial length in combination with hullsupport rollers to preclude or at least substantially minimize the riskof unsightly scratches or other damage to a boat during ramp use. Thereappears to have been great emphasis heretofore on nice little keelrollers, and especially a plurality of aligned little keel supportrollers, with concomitant reduction of the number of lateral hullsupport rollers to one or two and the consequent relatively higher riskfor bow and keel damage as well as for poor balance of a boat on such aramp.

Everyone heretofore seems to have liked a winch for pulling a boat outof the water onto a ramp, but when it comes to ladder-style ramps,little attention seems to have been given to simplified but effectivebracing for the winch assembly.

Some ramps heretofore proposed have had articulated sections; othershave had the entire ramp structure mounted for pivot operation. Suchexpedients create balancing issues and generally require a fair amountof energy for successful operation. Any excessive expenditure of energyis looked upon by most boat enthusiasts as less than ideal.

Much to be desired has been a boat ramp of exceedingly simple design, adesign calculated to minimize the risk of scratching and other damage toa boat, a design with good hull support to maintain boat stabilityduring ramp storage, and a design with operational features contributingto ease of boat storage as well as fast and easy launching capability.This invention is directed toward those goals. Further, in its mostpreferred form, the invention additionally provides a ramp designpermitting the unassembled components to be conveniently and compactlypackaged for shipment as parcel packages to almost any location desiredwithout exorbitant shipping expense. This becomes especially noteworthywhen it is recognized that boat ramps normally have only enjoyedrelatively local area markets as distinguished from national marketpenetration. It also is especially noteworthy when combined with thefact that the components of the preferred new boat ramp of thisinvention can be easily and conveniently assembled using readilyavailable and widely used tools.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new boat ramp of the invention has a ladder-style metal frame. Sucha frame has elongated lateral side rails held in spaced apart parallelcondition by cross support beams. Ideally, the rails and the crosssupport beams are made using extruded aluminum lengths having a C shapein cross-section. The spaced apart condition for the rails should begreater than about one and one-half feet, and the rails should have alength greater than 10 feet and terminate at one end as a water end andterminate at the other end as a shore end.

The ramp has at least six hull roller assemblies so as to provide atleast three on each rail. Preferably a greater number of hull rollerassemblies are employed, such as five or six on each rail, up to as manyas eight or 10 or even 12 or more on each rail. The hull rollerassemblies are laterally paired on the side rails (e.g., the hull rollerassembly on one side rail is paired to the hull roller assembly acrossfrom it on the other side rail). Also, the paired hull roller assembliesare longitudinally spaced from each other along the rails. It isimportant to have plural hull roller assemblies distributed over atleast the water end half of the length of each of the rails.

Hull roller assemblies of the invention have a hull roller axle on whichis mounted at each end a hull roller. Thus, each assembly has two hullrollers as part in its makeup. The hull roller assemblies on the railsare so arranged and mounted that their axles are in pivotable, elevated,transverse orientation above the rails. This permits the hull rollers topivot and rotate according to the contour of the hull of a boat beingpulled into resting condition on them. At least one hull roller assemblyis at the water end terminus of each rail, and this particular hullroller assembly generally should employ a slightly shorter axle length(for hull rollers) than the hull roller assemblies otherwise distributedin spaced relationship on a rail. The shorter axle contributes to totalstrength for the assembly at the water end where the weight on it(contributed in part by the boat motor) is likely to be the greatest. Italso contributes to closer spacing between hull rollers on the axle andprotects against penetration of the bow of a boat between the hullrollers and thus saves it from damage. The hull rollers nearest eachother on the paired assemblies across from each other are called insidehull rollers, whereas those hull rollers that are furthest from eachother on the paired assemblies are called outside hull rollers.

At the water end is mounted a keel roller assembly equipped with acentral keel roller. The keel roller preferably is greater in axiallength than one-fourth of the distance between the rails. The axiallength of the keel roller should be at least about 6 inches and ideallyis at least about 10 inches. It can be greater in length. The insidehull rollers of the paired hull roller assemblies at the water end havea proximity relationship to the keel roller so as to cooperate with thekeel roller to substantially preclude all contact by the bow of a boatagainst structural elements or components of the ramp at the water endother than the hull rollers and the keel roller.

The low profile of the entire ramp—and particularly the low profile forthe water end keel roller and other elements—permits convenient boatloading on the ramp even when only a minimal ramp length extends intothe water.

A winch assembly is mounted on the ramp at the shore end of theladder-style frame. The mounting employed is preferably such as toorient the winch mount beam at an angle. It is mounted at a foundationlocation spaced inward from the shore end and extends toward the shoreend at a low upward angle of no more than about 45 degrees from therails. The length of the winch mount beam and the bracing relationshipsfor it are preferably such as to place the winch end of the beamapproximately perpendicularly upward at the shore end, and at a modestbut useful elevation above the shore end—a position that allows formaximum utilization of the ladder system to receive boats.

Components of the new boat ramp are ideally formed for easy assembly.Simple well-known small hardware (e.g., bolts, nuts, cotter pins,washers) is used to fasten and hold components in assembled condition.The components and the simple hardware are capable of being packaged ina manner satisfying limitations imposed by well-known and popular parcelshipment services such as United Parcel Service and others. Parcelshipment services generally limit the size of packages acceptable tothem (as by weight, length, and girth) so that the packages can behandled by a single individual or at least stand a good chance of beinghandleable by a single individual. Among other things, packages greaterthan 9 feet in length are generally not acceptable, yet the rails of theladder-style frame of the new ramp easily exceed a length of 9 feet or108 inches. To accommodate shipment limitations, rails of the new rampare conveniently made in sections for shipment, and joined together byconnector brackets to achieve lengths as desired for ramp use. An idealillustration is that of using rail sections having a length of about 103inches and uniting two or more of such rail sections with connectorbrackets to achieve the desired length for a ramp. From a practicalstandpoint, two such sections can form a ramp length of 206 inches. Sucha length can accommodate a majority of the smaller inlandlake boats, andthree such sections forming a ramp length of 309 inches is believed tosatisfy most of the remaining market for practical inlandlake boatramps.

Many other benefits and advantageous features and characteristics of theinvention will become evident as this description proceeds.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a boat ramp of the inventionin assembled condition; the view looks up at the ramp from the water endtoward the shore end where the winch is located;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an illustrative hull rollerassembly, with parts broken away; the assembly has an elevated pivotableaxle above the ramp side rail; the axle extends in a directiontransverse to the side rail and there is a hull roller at each end ofthe axle;

FIG. 3 is a schematic top plan view of the water end of the ramp;

FIG. 4 is an schematic end elevational view of the water end of theramp;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of the shore end of theramp where the winch assembly is located;

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective exploded view of illustrativecomponents of the ramp at the water end and includes the laterallyspaced two rail sections that terminate at the water end as well as theconnector brackets for connecting the water end rail sections to furtherrail sections such as those of the shore end that carry the winch at theshore end;

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective exploded view of several of thecomponents for the shore end rail section of the ramp;

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective exploded view of the winch mountsystem at the shore end and includes some parts shown in phantom (partsin phantom are duplicates of parts shown in FIG. 7);

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view of four compacted rails and six crosssupport beams in unassembled condition on an opened corrugated shipmentbox for the same;

FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view on line 10—10 of thecompacted ramp components illustrated in FIG. 9, showing the intermeshedrelationships of the rails and cross support beams for packaging;

FIG. 11 is a schematic top plan view of ramp components (other thanrails and cross support beams) in an open corrugated shipment box;

FIG. 12 is a schematic top plan view of components for an intermediatesection of ramp that can be interposed between the water end section andthe shore end section to get greater length; the components areillustrated in an open corrugated shipment box;

FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view of an alternate axle andelevational brace for a hull roller assembly; and

FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view of a further alternative hullroller assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

For clarity in understanding the components as they are presented indifferent views of the drawing and discussed in the text, an effort willbe made to use the same number for a component wherever it is shown inthe drawings and wherever it may appear in text. In this connection,please note the components displayed in FIG. 6 et seq. The numbering inthose figures is the same as for the component in assembled condition inthe earlier figures.

Referring first to FIG. 1 (and note also FIGS. 2–8 for added detail),the new boat ramp has a ladder-style frame 10, a plurality of hullroller assemblies 30, a water end keel roller assembly 60, and a shoreend winch assembly 80—all formed of components easily assembled togetherusing non-sophisticated tools and simple small fastening or holdinghardware such as, for example, bolts, nuts, cotter pins, and washers. Acustomer-user can assemble the components without need for welding,soldering, riveting, etc.

The ladder-style frame has a pair of elongated lateral side rails 12, 14held in spaced apart parallel condition by cross support beams 16. Thespaced apart condition for these parallel rails should be greater thanabout one and one-half feet, and generally will not exceed about 3 feet.The measurements for this spacing may be taken from the center line ofeach rail. It should be added, however, that such precision formeasurement is not critical. The spacing of the parallel rails isapproximate (not exact) but should be enough for excellent stability ofhull support by the hull roller assemblies 30 on opposite sides of theramp. Excessive spacing of the side rails beyond that recommendedintroduces problems of proper boat hull support. Furthermore, it wouldadd needlessly to the length and size and bulk and weight of componentssuch as the cross beams 16.

The ideal lateral side rails 12, 14 are made of aluminum and have across-sectional C shape. The C shape is formed by a unifying side web orwall 18 that connects upper or top flange 17 and lower or bottom flange19 of the C shape (see FIGS. 1 and 4). The ideal arrangement of theseC-shaped rails is that of placing the cavity 20 of each lateral siderail 12, 14 in a facing relationship toward the opposite side rail. Thisis done for strength purposes as well as for convenient mounting of thespacing and bracing cross support beams 16 easily to the bottom flange19 of the C-shaped rails, and for convenient mounting of the hull rollerassemblies 30 to the top flange 17 of the C shape. The arrangement (withthe cross support beams mounted to the lower or bottom flange 19 and thehull roller assemblies at a location above the top flange 17) achievesnot only appropriate rigidity for the ladder-style frame itself but alsoeasily achieves adequate elevation needed for hull rollers in order toavoid keel damage.

The lateral side rails 12, 14 should have a length greater than 10 feet.That length may be as great as 30 or even 40 feet. The length dependsupon the boat to be accommodated on the ramp, and how far a user wantsthe boat to be moved up from the water. Ideally, a basic rampaccommodating most of the smaller boats can be formed by connecting twoapproximately 9-foot sections of rail material linearly together to forma composite length of side rail. Thus, with reference to FIGS. 1, 6, and7 as an illustration, a water end rail section 22 of a composite siderail may be connected to a shore end rail section 23 by a metalconnector bracket 25 at the abutment 24 of the connected ends of thosetwo sections. The connector bracket 25 is not clearly shown in FIG. 1,but is quite well shown in FIG. 6. It is illustrated as a short length(about 2 feet) of C-shaped material capable of forming a flush fitinside the cavity 20 of the C-shaped rail sections 22 and 23. Bolts areused to fasten the connector 25 rigidly to the abutting ends of rails 22and 23. Holes 26 in the rail sections as viewed in FIGS. 6 and 7 andholes 27 in the view of connector 25 in FIG. 6 accommodate the bolts tofasten connector 25 in position. To be especially observed is that theconnected ends of the two rail sections 22, 23 literally abut and areconnected by the connector bracket 25 in a firm manner that preventspivoting or other articulation for the connection.

The cross support beams 16 are suitably made from extruded stock of thesame type (e.g., aluminum metal) as employed for the lateral side rails.While extensive cross bracing using cross support beams 16 may beemployed to hold the parallel rails in fixed, spaced apart relationship,quite adequate spacing between the rails can be realized by employing across support beam 16 at or near each end of an approximately 9 foot (orslightly shorter) rail section and one in the middle of it. Bracing byusing cross support beams 16 at the land end identified as the shore endas well as at the water end of a rail is important, or at least quitedesirable, for strength purposes. The ends of rail sections joined bythe connector bracket 25 preferably are braced with cross support beams16 at a location slightly spaced inward from the joined end, and thusjust inward from each side of the connector bracket, but neverthelessnear the connector bracket, so as to achieve desired strength at thatlocation. Between those two extremes a further cross support brace orbeam 16 is desirable. More may be employed, but more are normally notcritically necessary. Bolt fastening (e.g., nuts and bolts) of the crosssupport beams on the underside of the bottom flange of side rails isideal, using preformed holes in the parts. As illustrated in FIG. 1 andsuggested in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, the cross support beams 16 are orientedso that their flanges 26, 28 on each side of their web wall 27 aredirected perpendicularly downward and the web wall 27 of the beams isflush against the lower flange 19 of the side rails. This permits thecomponents to be easily assembled and disassembled.

Mounted to the upper flanges 17 of the C-shaped side rails are aplurality of hull roller assemblies 30. They are preferably in laterallypaired relationships. Thus, one hull roller assembly such as thatnumbered 31 in FIG. 1 is directly across from its paired hull rollerassembly 32 on the other rail. They are transversely across from eachother. The pairs are longitudinally spaced along the rails. The numberof pairs along the rails can vary, but at least three (a total of atleast six)—and preferably at least five for a total of at least 10—arelongitudinally spaced along each side rail, especially on the section ofthe total rail length having the water end terminus. They may bedistributed at about equal longitudinal spacing over the entire waterend half (or even over the water end three-fourths) of the length ofeach side rail. For a strong boat support at the water end of the rails(where the stern and motor of a boat usually will rest) it is highlydesirable to combine paired hull roller assemblies at the very terminusof the side rails with an additional pair in close proximity to theterminal pair (see FIG. 3). A suitable proximity is about one foot(e.g., about 9 to 15 inches). The spacing between other pairs of hullroller assemblies can be about 2 feet (or even 3 feet if desired).Rarely will more than 16 hull roller assemblies per side rail be needed,even for exceedingly long ramps.

Reference is made to FIG. 2 for the preferred components and structuralfeatures for a hull roller assembly 30. The assembly 30 has a compositepivotable hull roller axle 33 (i.e., the central axle part 33 connectsthe hull roller axle parts 35, 37, 40, and 42 and is the convenientidentifier part for the axles as a whole). At each end of the axle(i.e., composite axle) for the hull roller assembly is a hull roller 44and 46, preferably of the wobble roller type. Wobble rollers are wellknown and literally have the capability of wobbling and thus thecapability of slightly adjusting the angularity or pivot of their axisof rotation with respect to the axis of the axle about which theyrotate. Their ability to so adjust facilitates their ability to presentthe widest exterior tread surface or circumferential surface as asupport for a boat hull contacted by the hull rollers.

An important characteristic of the hull roller axle 33 and the hullrollers 44, 46 at each end is that of elevation. The composite axle(including parts numbered 34 through 42) should be mounted for pivot,and this means that the entire axle and its hull rollers 44 and 46 ateach end should be mounted for pivot action. (That pivot action might beslightly different for the hull roller on one end versus the hull rolleron the opposite end of an axle, but the important point is the functionof pivot to achieve good hull contact by the rollers.) Additionally, themounting of the axle and hull rollers should be elevated above the siderails (about 3 to 12 inches) so as to avoid keel damage. In short, theaxle as well as the hull rollers carried on each end of it should bemounted in relatively elevated and pivotable transverse orientationabove the rails. The mounting must permit the assembly to pivot and theroller to rotate in conformance to the contour of the hull of a boatpulled into resting condition upon the rollers. Each hull rollerassembly 30 is mounted on the upper or top flange 17 of a side rail by asuitable bracket or brackets 48 and 49. The bracket is fixed to a siderail such as the rail 12, and the elevation of a hull roller axle can beaccomplished by a brace system extending between the axle 33 and the earflange or ear flanges 50, 51 of bracket mounting. The pivot mounting 52for the axle may be a bolt mounted on a bracket or between two parts orears 50, 51 of a bracket as illustrated. The illustrated pivot for theaxle is at a very low location near the top flange 17 of a side railsuch as rail 12, and the elevation for the axle is accomplished by anysuitable bracing 54, 55 extending upward to the composite axle 33. (Ofcourse, the elevational bracing may be integral with the bracketattachment to a side rail, if desired.)

The illustrated approach—having the pivot 52 positioned just above aside rail and having the axle elevation built into or accomplished bythe body of a brace 54, 55 extending up to hold the axle (and evenmerging into the axle)—has the merit of improving strength for the axle33.

The length of the axle 33 for the hull roller assemblies at the waterend terminus of the side rails can be (and preferably is) slightlyshorter than the length of the axle for the other hull roller assemblies(including the adjacent assemblies spaced about one foot away). Thedifference between the axle length for the water end hull rollerassemblies and the axle length for all other hull roller assemblies can,of course, be satisfied by special casting for the shore end assembly asdistinguished from the other hull roller assemblies. But it is useful toemploy a single mold for casts that can be made to satisfy the preferredaxle requirements for all hull roller assemblies. In FIG. 2, theillustrated axle is made up of several axle sections, namely a centralframe section 34 bounded at each end by inner annular stop ridges 36 and38, then inner axle lengths 35 and 37 which extend out to outer annularstop ridges at each end (only one such outer ridge 39 is shown in FIG.2), and finally axle lengths 40 and 42 terminating at the outermost endsof the composite axle. The outermost axle lengths 40 and 42 are usefulfor mounting widely spaced hull rollers 44 and 46 thereupon, whereas theinner axle lengths 35 and 37 are useful for the preferred water end hullroller assemblies 58 and 59 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The composite axle oflong length (including end axle lengths 40 and 42) suitably can bebetween about 12 and about 16 inches, with about 14 inches preferred,whereas the short composite axle length (excluding the end axle lengths)should be within the range of about 7 inches to 10 inches, with about 8or 9 inches preferred. A curved dash line 70 in FIG. 2 (just insideannular ridge 39) illustrates where an axle casting for the designshould be cut after casting or be blocked off in the casting form priorto casting so as to form the shorter axle length (without outer annularstop ridges as well as without the outermost axle length at both ends ofthe composite axle).

Mounting of a hull roller at an end of the axle is accomplished in anysuitable manner. A “floating” abutment such as a washer 43 may first beplaced on the axle against an annular ridge. Then the hull roller is puton the axle and finally a terminal washer 56 and a holding cotter pinsuch as at 57. A hole is suitably drilled in the axle for the cotterpin. Other styles of mounting for the hull rollers on an axle may beemployed, but the outlined approach is simple and effective. Regardlessof details of structure, the axles are mounted in pivotable, elevated,transverse orientation above the rails. The terminus of each side railat the water end is equipped with a hull roller assembly 58 and 59 (seeFIGS. 3 and 4), and the hull rollers nearest each other at the water endare called inside hull rollers 61 and 62. For the purpose of maintainingthe axles of the hull roller assemblies at a desired tilt orientationfor ready receipt of a contoured hull of a boat, a stop or pivotlimiting bulge or body or knob 53 (see FIG. 2) may be incorporated onthe pivot structure near its axis of pivot. The dominant pivot limit orstop in terms of mass should be on the outside of the pivotablestructure. If desired, a stop or pivot limit may be incorporated on theinside of the pivot structure. The term “inside” refers to parts acrossfrom each other but nearest each other in a paired relationship on therails 12 and 14, whereas the term “outside” refers to those parts orhull rollers that are the furthest apart in the paired relationship ofthe hull roller assemblies.

See FIGS. 3 and 4 for the water end terminus carrying the keel assembly.A cross support beam such as 16 is at the water end terminus of therails, as previously mentioned. This particular water end cross supportbeam can be considered to be part of the total keel assembly. It mayhave a keel roller bracket 64 permanently fixed to it as by welding, ifdesired. (The option exists for using a separate keel roller bracket andbolting it to the water end cross support beam.) The keel bracket 64 ison a water end cross support beam at a location midway between thelateral side rails 12, 14 and accommodates a keel axle 68 carrying akeel roller 66 having a substantial axial length. (Any suitable holderor fastener such as a nut or cotter pin, etc. may be used to hold thekeel axle in the upstanding end ears or flanges of the bracket 64.) Theaxial length of the keel roller is at least 6 inches and preferably isat least 10 inches, and is always at least greater than one-fourth thedistance between the side rails 12 and 14. Further, the diameter of theaxial ends of the keel roller is so great (e.g., about 3 or 4 or 5inches) that the keel roller at its axial ends extends radially outwardfrom the upstanding end ears or flanges of the bracket. Thus, the keelroller obstructs contact with the upstanding flanges of the metalbracket by the bow of a boat as the boat is loaded onto the ramp.

Further, the keel roller assembly is essentially in alignment across thewater end terminus with the hull roller assemblies that are laterallyoutward at the water end. (Optionally, the hull roller assemblies at thewater end might be slightly displaced from true alignment from the keelroller and occupy a position slightly spaced back from the water endterminus; but the ideal arrangement places all of these rollers inalignment very close to the water end terminus.) The significantly largeaxial length for the keel roller and the relatively elevatedrelationship of the hull rollers and their relatively closerelationships on the hull roller axle, plus their close relationship tothe axial ends of the keel roller, present a total arrangement at thekeel end that is highly protective of the bow of a boat at the beginningstages of loading the boat on the ramp. In this regard, many keelrollers have a relatively deep central annular groove for acceptance ofa keel, whereas the keel roller of this invention is not dependent on adeep annular groove since it primarily functions as a bumper protectorto save on damage to the keel and additionally functions to some degreeas a centering roller for the keel.

It is to be understood that the keel roller, as well as the hullrollers, are ideally made of non-scratching elastomeric material(natural or synthetic, including plastic types), whereas the otherelements and components of structure are ideally made of metal,especially aluminum (although strong and durable plastics such aspolyamides may be substituted for some metal components, if desired).The strength and rigidity of C-shaped metal permits some reduction ofweight or bulk while maintaining structural integrity, and is especiallyimportant for the ladder-style frame. The fundamental arrangement at thewater end is that of a keel roller in cooperative relationship with thewater end terminal hull rollers so as to substantially preclude allcontact by the bow of a boat against structural elements at the waterend except the keel roller and hull rollers.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the shore end has a winch assembly 80 speciallybraced to resist buckling. The winch 82 itself is on a plate orcomparable structure 83 fixed at the winch mount end of a sloped winchmount beam 84. The arrangement places the winch approximately betweenthe shore end terminus of the side rails 12 and 14 and above the levelof the rails at the shore end.

Bracing is significant, and the ideal bracing requires simplicity ofelements to permit ease of assembly using well-known tools. A winchsupport cross brace 86 extends between the rails at the shore endterminus. This cross brace might be satisfied by some form of crosssupport beam for spacing the side rails, but it is preferable to employthe special cross brace as illustrated (see FIGS. 5 and 7)—and inaddition include a cross support beam 16 at the shore end. The crossbrace 86 has an essentially diamond (e.g., square) cross-sectional shapewith a transverse mounting plate 87 at each end for affixing the winchsupport cross brace 86 to the inside surface of the web backbone of theside rails. The transverse mounting plates 87 extend into the cavity ofthe side rails and are bolted to the backbone web wall 18 of the siderails so that the diamond cross-sectional shape has its corners pointingin the four compass directions.

Another such winch support cross brace 88 with a transverse mountingplate 89 at each end is mounted between the rails at a location inwardfrom the shore end terminus of the rails. The distance of inwardlocation from the shore end terminus winch support cross brace 86 shouldbe sufficient for flush mounting of the sloped winch mount beam 84 atits foundation end 85 against a sloped side surface of the inwardlyspaced winch support cross brace 88. The winch mount beam 84 is suitablyformed of aluminum and has a basic web wall backbone with an edge flangealong each side. It is the web wall backbone that is mounted (as bybolts and nuts) in flush condition against the lower shore-side slopedsurface of the winch support cross brace 88. As used here, the term“shore side” means the side toward the shore end terminus of the rails.The mounting causes the winch mount beam 84 to extend angularly upwardfrom and toward the shore end terminus. The angularly upward directionis about 45 degrees from the longitudinal direction of the side rails,and should be no greater than 45 degrees. If the angle is decreasedbelow 45 degrees, the winch mount beam 84 should be increased in lengthso as to maintain a comfortable height for winch operation withoutpulling of the bow of a boat excessively in either an upward or downwarddirection during loading. Lateral bracing for the winch mount beamincludes a lateral brace 90, 92 extending at an angle from each side ofa midpoint 94, between the ends of the winch mount beam 84 to a locationon the ramp proximate to the shore end terminus of the rails. Thepreferred location for the lateral braces at their ends spread towardthe shore end of the rails is on the winch support cross brace 86located at the shore end terminus. The relationship between the lengthof the winch mount beam 84 and the distance of the inwardly spaced crossbeam 88 from the shore end terminus of the rails is such as to place thewinch approximately perpendicularly upward from the shore end terminusof the rails.

The winch mount beam 84 carries the bulk of the forces encounteredduring winch operation to load a boat on the ramp. When heavy boats arepulled onto the ramp (or when the ramp is oriented to have a significantupward slope), it may be desirable to put one's foot on the crossbracing at the shore terminal end to assist against any tendency for theshore end to rise up during winch operation, or the shore end may beotherwise anchored, as desired. For example, a ground brace having ahelical anchor end may be screwed into the ground and the shore end tiedto the same. A hole 94 in the winch assembly can receive an eye bolt toaccept linkage to a ground anchor.

Of major significance is the extraordinary simplicity of the componentsand the ease of their assembly to form the new ramp, and this isespecially illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, where the numbering for theunassembled components is the same as for them in assembled condition.Only an illustrative number of repetitively used components are shown inthe FIGS. 6, 7, and 8; and they are shown in unassembled condition toemphasize their simple nature and the ease with which they may beassembled. Note also that small fastening and holding hardware (allhaving a maximum dimension below six inches or so) is not shown in thedisassembled arrays. Such small hardware ideally consists of bolts, nuts(especially preferred are nuts of the “Nylock” brand), washers, andcotter pins. The components for the ramp are equipped with holes atappropriate locations for bolt and nut fastening of the componentstogether. To reduce the number of different components needed forinventory, it is desirable to make left and right components with anidentical pattern of holes so that they can be used interchangeably(even though some holes may be unnecessary for a particular location ofuse). Similarly it is advantageous to use like extrusion material fordifferent components. For example, the same extruded material in termsof cross-sectional size and channel style may be used for the rails aswell as cross support beams and also for the winch mount beam. A usefulcross-section for these components has a web wall of about 3 inches onits exterior side and flanges about 1.5 inches on their outsidesurfaces.

Packaging within the limits of weight, length, and girth for parcelshipment by well-known parcel shipping organizations is made possible bythe simplified components and the ease with which they may beinterrelated to each other for compact packaging. Parcel shipmentorganizations such as the United States Postal Service, United ParcelService, Federal Express (FEDEX), and others generally specify a maximumweight of 70 pounds per package. They also specify 108 inches (9 feet)as the maximum length for a package and 130 inches total as the maximumfor the length and girth combined. To make up the needed length for theelongated side rails of the ladder-style frame of the invention, eachside rail has to be formed of at least two sections. Four elongated railsections, each 103 inches in length, can make a ladder-style ramp lengthof 206 inches, and that is long enough for many boats. Four such railsand up to six cross support beams total about 50 pounds and can becompactly placed in a single package by putting the C shape for therails (and also the cross support beams) with their cavities facing eachother and then overlapping the flanges as the rail sections are movedtoward each other. By slipping the flanges together in overlappedcondition, all four rail sections and also six cross support beams canbe placed in a shipping carton well within the limits of length andgirth acceptable to parcel shippers. This is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and10.

All remaining components (e.g., 12 hull roller axles with elevationalbraces, 24 hull rollers, 12 mounting bracket parts for hull rolleraxles, a keel bracket with or without a cross support beam, keel axle,two winch support cross braces, a winch mount beam, left and rightlateral braces for winch mount beam, and the winch) are of lesser lengthand may be grouped and bundled into a package of about 60 pounds madereadily acceptable in terms of length and girth. This is illustrated inFIG. 11. The needed small hardware may be placed in this package, or inthe rail section package, or with some in each package. Items such asconnector brackets for uniting ends of rail sections together may alsobe in this package or in the rail section package.

Sometimes a boat ramp according to the invention will need one or moreextra sections of side rails (e.g., 103 inches in length) to provide thelength for accepting a longer boat (or for moving a boat over a swamparea to higher ground). In such instances, two side rails of 103 inchesin length, two connector brackets, three cross support beams, additionalhull roller assemblies (e.g., eight such assemblies in unassembled form)will be needed as well as small hardware. The components for eight hullroller assemblies are eight hull roller axles, 16 hull rollers, andeight brackets for the mounting of the complete hull roller assembly onthe side rails. All of this can total around 60 pounds and can beconveniently placed in a single elongated package, with compactarrangement as illustrated in FIG. 12. Such a package is well within thelimits of weight, length, and girth for parcel shipment packages.

As afore noted, one of the best metals for most components of the newramp (other than the hull rollers and keel roller) is aluminum. It isrelatively light in weight and can be shaped to provide the necessarystrength while at the same time reducing in many instances the quantityof metal to achieve the necessary strength. Other metals such asmagnesium are also strong and light in weight. Even galvanized steel maybe used in smaller dimensions to achieve needed strength. Various othermaterials may be developed that will satisfy special requirements forparts such as strength, weight, non-scratch, etc. Material for allcomponents should be resistant to corrosion.

An optional design for a hull roller axle and elevational bracing for itis illustrated in FIG. 13. The showing illustrates a composite axle 100where the outermost arms 102 and 104 of it are in a slight angularrelationship of about 5 degrees. This may be desirable as an assistanceto place the outer axial width of hull rollers in better orientation torotate in flush condition against a contoured boat hull. Theillustration includes an elevational brace or body 106 that spaces theaxle 100 from the location of pivot 108.

An optional design for an entire hull roller assembly (see FIG. 14) hasthe brace 110 for elevation built into and integrated with the bracketbase 112. Base 112 is mounted on a rail 12. The axle 114 either has ahole through it (or has an ear on it with a hole through the ear) foracceptance of a shaft 116 on which the axle is pivotable.

The downwardly directed flanges 26 and 28 of the cross support beam 16as mounted to the side rails 12, 14 have an added function. They arecapable of penetrating into earth sufficiently to provide a solidanchoring of the ramp against slippage.

Those skilled in the art may recognize that this invention can beembodied in still other specific forms than illustrated withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential characteristics of it. Theillustrated embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respectsillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description,and all variations that come within the meaning and range of equivalencyof the claims are intended to be embraced thereby.

1. A boat ramp comprising: (i) a ladder-style frame having elongatedlateral side rails held in spaced apart parallel condition by crosssupport beams, said spaced apart condition being greater than about oneand one-half feet, said rails having a length greater than 10 feet andterminating at one end as a water end and terminating at the other endas a shore end, (ii) at least six hull roller assemblies mounted on saidside rails in laterally paired relationship across from each other andin longitudinally spaced relationship along said rails such that atleast three said hull roller assemblies are distributed over the waterend half of the length of each said rail, each said assembly having ahull roller axle carrying at each end thereof a hull roller, said hullroller assemblies being so mounted on said rails that their said axlesare in pivotable elevated transverse orientation above said rails so asto permit said hull rollers to pivot and rotate according to the contourof the hull of a boat pulled into resting condition thereupon, and (iii)a shore end winch assembly comprising a winch assembly beam mounted atits inner end on a said cross support beam between said rails at alocation inwardly spaced from said shore end, said winch assembly beambeing sloped upward toward said shore end at a low angle of no more thanabout 45 degrees above the elongated direction of said rails, and awinch supported at an elevated condition proximate to the elevated outerend of said winch assembly beam.